


Don't Go

by Anaredrina



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Resident Evil 2, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Roommates, Secret Crush, Soft Leon, Touch-Starved, Would have taken place in roughly 2001 so pretend you were a grown ass adult back then, clingy leon, give him a hug, mentions of re2, needy leon, or maybe not so secret, re2 spoilers if it can be spoiled at this point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:34:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27185941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaredrina/pseuds/Anaredrina
Summary: You had no idea what sort of baggage your unlikely roommate was packing, but it's a lot, and came out as a surprise. But not all surprises are bad.
Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy & Reader, Leon S. Kennedy & You, Leon S. Kennedy/Reader, Leon S. Kennedy/You
Kudos: 62





	Don't Go

Leon Kennedy has been your roommate for about 3 years or so, and in many ways, he's the best roommate you could have ever asked for. He's quiet, cleans up after himself, (seriously he is virtually non-traceable) doesn't bring obnoxious friends over, doesn't smoke, and is always willing to help, be it opening a jar, your homework, a paper, or something like moving furniture or fixing the sink. There's only one flaw you've noticed so far: he drinks. A lot. Well, there's two flaws if you count the fact that you have a helpless crush on him, but he seems to be stoic as ever. But wait, that's your flaw and not his fault.

You never thought you'd have a cop turned agent as a roommate either, much less a man. It just seemed so unlikely. But you really needed someone to split your bills with and hopefully not be bothersome, and he was looking for the same. Why he hasn't moved out is a mystery to you but you probably couldn't pay your bills without his share of the payment. 

He's only very briefly explained to you why he suddenly came to town, and all he said he was “allowed to say”, is that he escaped Raccoon City alive, and that's all you need to know. But you wanted to know more, although you suspected that may be related to his drinking problem and his tendency to be so shut off, yet he seems to not like being home alone. If he's been gone on a work call for more than a day or two, he's an absolute wreck when he comes home and usually drinks himself into a near comatose state, and asks you to not leave him. It is quite odd. 

Even if you're in different rooms not interacting with each other. It drives him up the walls if you're not there overnight with him. And this issue was going to have to be confronted soon, as it was nearing the holiday season and your family wanted you to come home for a few days, or maybe a week. They hadn't seen you in years, not since you went off to college and graduated this summer, and they wanted to see you before you bury yourself in post-grad work. 

You were both eating dinner after a long day, but it was a Friday so both of you actually got home at the same time, and would always get some takeout on the way home.

“Leon, I have to ask you something.”

He looked up from the styrofoam container with Chinese food in it, and seemed to be unusually tense. Typical for him, he just nodded, urging you to continue. 

“My family wants me to come home over the holidays. I was wondering if you would be okay with that, or just wondering if maybe you also planned to leave so we can line things up properly.” 

He dropped his plastic fork and swallowed harshly, whatever was just in his mouth. “Are you serious?” His face turned pale and his pupils widened as if he were in fear, or shock. 

You noticed that you may have brushed on an odd topic for him, and you wouldn't know the reason why. But you needed at least a vague answer. At least a yes or a no. 

“Is… That bad? I thought you had family too?”

Leon isn't very talkative so you always just assumed he had a family out there, but isn't much of a family person. He sure did seem attached to home; if this is what he calls home, and insisted on company. So it would make sense if he had one. 

“No, I don't. I'm not going anywhere.” His tone of voice was odd, although he continued eating a little bit, you could tell his hands were trembling and he was kind of just playing with his food at his point. 

“Sorry if that's a bad topic. But is it okay with you to watch the apartment while I'm gone?” 

No answer, he just kept staring at his food and poking it. 

“Leon?” 

Unexpectedly, he quickly shoved his food to the side and propped his head up on the table with his elbows, his face buried in his hands. All you could see was his ashy hair hanging down. 

“I'm sorry if that's an uncomfortable topic. Is everything okay?” All you heard was heavy breathing, but quickly it turned into those telltale sounds of someone crying under their breath. You were exceedingly concerned, and got up to move your chair to sit right next to him, laying a hand on his back. He was still in his bulletproof vest and uniform, so rubbing his back was a bit awkward, but you tried. That seemed to calm him down a bit. 

“It's okay. You can tell me.” 

Before you could really think of what to say next or how else you could help, an arm shot out to clutch one of yours. He held your forearm in a vice grip, but didn't look up. 

You could tell that he was definitely crying when he spoke, his voice sounded nasal as if he had a stuffy nose. “Don't go.”

This was unexpected because you never really figured he cared about you too much, let alone he would beg you to stay. You knew he didn't like being left alone and it stressed him out, but this takes the cake. 

“Leon, you're going to have to tell me what's going on.”

You expected that it would take a long time and lots of prying to get to the bottom of this, but much to your surprise, he looked up and spat it right out, his blue eyes looked almost like ice as they were glazed over by tears and a red tinge. 

“I can't stand being alone. I just can't. I told you about what happened in Raccoon City, and that's why. I may have gotten out alive, but I came out with a bunch of shit I can’t forget.”  
“Please, just stay.”  
Instantly, you figured this must be why he drinks so much as well but you didn't bring it up. 

“I- I'm sorry that happened to you. I'll stay. But please, tell me these sorts of things in the future, okay?” He nodded, and sniffled a bit. You didn't really think you'd see him break, at least not in front of you. But boy, was he broken. It's as if he just stopped… Working. From the thought of being left all alone for a week. It really made you think what sorts of things he saw, and or lost. 

You cleaned up your dinner and told him he should get out of his uniform at least. But he was still glued to the table, and wouldn't move. “I can't do anything if you don't speak.” 

He looked back to you, more tears in his eyes. “I'm sorry. I will.”

Leon got up and dragged his feet to his room, and left the door open, which was odd. You could hear the velcro straps coming off and zippers coming undone, but he came back out almost immediately just in his undershirt and boxers, eyes glued to the floor. 

He waddled to the couch before sinking his weight into the side he'd always sit in. You went to your room to get him a blanket, you didn't want to give him his own or prod around in his stuff. You draped your blanket over him. For a while he buried himself in your blanket, and he relished in your scent left in the fabric. It was comforting for him and made him feel safer. 

Once you were sat down, he practically collapsed into your shoulder, even though he was much taller and heavier than you. He must have noticed he was crushing you and to your surprise he instead held on to you, essentially pulling you into his arms and holding you tightly, and wrapping the blanket around both of you now. 

“Please stay, y/n.”  
“It's okay, I will. I'll be here at home for you all week.”  
“No, I mean here. Right here.” 

His shaking had subsided, and he seems to have composed his outward mental state already. But it was still clearly bothering him. His expression was nearly blank. You never really expected him to have such strong abandonment issues, if that's even the right word for it. You knew it's not the typical kind that comes to mind when you hear the word, but you figured he must have lost someone or something, physical or not during that incident perhaps. 

“It still haunts me almost every night. Sometimes I wake up and can barely breathe, and it feels like there’s an anvil on my chest or something. Then I just stare at the fucking ceiling.”  
“If that keeps happening you can sleep in my bed with me. Okay?”  
His face turned red, but he nodded silently. 

“And I’m sure you did the right thing when you could.”  
“It just never ends though. It just won’t leave me alone and I don’t think it ever will.”  
“I met a guy who had to kill his own daughter because she was infected. He told her that her mother is sleeping, and that he needs to put her to sleep now too, with her mother. He took her, closed the door, and shot her.”

Mentioning that seemed to upset him all over again. More labored breaths and sobs spilled forth from him, and admittedly this really was quite tragic, even you almost cried. You couldn’t imagine how horrible that must have been. 

“I couldn't do anything. They were gone. Everyone was gone. All I know is that I can barely sleep at night because of it. If you’re gone I won’t sleep at all.”  
“I promise I won't go anywhere. Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” 

He didn’t say it, he didn’t want to sound more pathetic. But he nodded, and you saw a tear drop fall onto the gray fabric on the couch. At this point you must have put it all together, he was starved for any touch and attention he could get. When you thought about it, you've never actually really touched him before today. 

“Let me change my clothes real quick, and I'll be right back okay?” He reluctantly let go but he understood. In the few minutes it took you to get changed and do a little thinking, he already missed you terribly. As you opened your door again you saw him blush before his eyes lit up.

“Think you can pull the couch out?” You asked, catching him off guard. 

“Oh, uh sure.” Leon jumped to his feet with much more vigor than you expected, and he was rather clumsily trying to figure out how to pull out the couch, but eventually he got it after you told him where to pull. As he was pulling it out you returned with all of your pillows, and tossed them on to the mattress. It really wasn't bad for being one of those awful contraptions, a folding couch. 

Leon settled back down on the mattress, and pulled the blanket over his legs. You flipped the lights off, and only a small lamp on the side table was illuminating your shared living room. You crawled up to him and had to awkwardly take his arm and lay it around your shoulder, and promise him that it's okay to touch you. 

Then you settled close by his side, resting your head on his chest. He probably didn't notice his own hands wandering off, but he started to gently comb his fingers through your hair and he took your other hand, to lock it with his. Admittedly, that made you really really sleepy. You could have easily dozed off. 

After you were laying down nestled into his side for a while he thanked you, and woke you up from your sleepy state. Since you flinched he figured you were dozing off and apologized. 

“No it's okay, I'll stay awake.”  
“I'll let you go get into bed and sleep if you're too tired. I don't want you to feel trapped. You don't have to sleep here.” 

In response, you simply stated, “But I want to.”  
“I-...” Leon stopped, as you squeezed his hand tighter and nuzzled your face into his side. How can he protest? 

“Just let me turn around to my side and keep doing what you were doing.” He noticed his hands were in your hair, strands woven between his fingers. Ah, that's what was making you so sleepy. 

You rolled around on your side, pulling on Leon's arm trying to drag them with you in a way. Eventually he got the message to adjust himself behind you, and be the big spoon. His arm underneath your head was surprisingly comfortable for being just bone and lean muscle, and you felt warm and safe with his body enveloping yours. 

He kept silently stroking your hair until he noticed you falling asleep; your breathing became more deep and regular. He stopped for a while and wondered if it's okay to fully lay down and hold on to you with that free hand now. Leon carefully re adjusted, very slowly, trying to not wake you up. 

Now he was right behind you, holding you firmly in his arms. It did briefly wake you up when you felt him adjust and slip his hand across your ribcage and chest, and you grasped his forearm with your hand. He startled a bit, but you firmly held on to his arm. “Keep it there,” you whispered. 

You felt him press a kiss to the crown of your head, before resting his chin there. Not anything suggestive really, but he wanted to show you a bit of affection before you drifted off to sleep again. 

“Thank you.” You squeezed his arm again in response, gently. It was beyond his ability to not give you a proper good night kiss on the cheek now though. 

“Sweet dreams, y/n.” 

And for the first time in years, nothing would come to haunt him that night. 


End file.
